1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to methods and structures for displaying advertising. In particular, this invention concerns a clamp and advertising structure for attaching, e.g., multimedia information, coupons, or advertisements, to a gas pump hose, and a method of providing advertisement on a gas pump hose.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of advertising at gasoline service stations is well known in the art. Most service stations have standalone signs that can be lighted and seen up close or from a roadway. Advertising also appears on the face of the gasoline pump, on smaller signs that stand alone on the ground, and even on the squeegee handles that protrude from the water bins in the service station.
A problem with these types of advertisements is that they do not take advantage of the time at which a customer pumps gasoline into a vehicle, which is probably the largest span of time in which the customer is present at the service station. This is especially true since the advent of credit card accepting gasoline pumps, which can severely limit the potential to sell "impulse" items at the cashier's stand. Accordingly, there is a need to provide advertising that is readily visible to the customer while the customer is pumping gasoline into a vehicle.
An additional problem with known gas station advertisements is that they are, typically, permanent signs that are not removable from the structure to which they are attached. For example, the advertisements on the gas pump are usually imprinted on the face of the pump and cannot be easily interchanged with other advertisements. Standalone signs are sometimes painted and are very large, which prevents easy interchanging of advertising on the signs. Accordingly, there is an additional need to provide advertising at a gas station that is easily interchangeable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,209 to Wilder discloses a typical advertising structure for a gasoline pump. The advertising is built into the handle of the gas pump and provides a small surface in which advertising indicia can be placed. This small advertising surface is not located at eye level and does not allow a significant amount of information to be communicated to the customer at the gasoline pump. In addition, this advertising surface requires a great deal of modification of the gas pump handle to accept placement of advertising.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,155 to Becker discloses a fuel delivery information device. The device is attached between the cap and the outer cap end of a fuel tank inlet to provide an information bearing surface which will be seen whenever the cap is removed. The objective of the Becker device is to provide fueling information to a person filling a fuel tank. The information bearing surface is not provided or adapted to be provided on a gasoline fuel hose.
The industry lacks a sturdy, inexpensive advertising structure that is designed to take advantage of the time in which a customer is pumping gasoline. No gas hose advertising structure is known that is easily interchangeable and at eye level throughout the gas pumping process.